The present invention relates to a capping device comprising means for preventing the complete separation of a container and of the cap closing this container.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,204 to produce a capping device comprising
a cap, the lateral skirt of which is equipped with means for its engagement with a container, it being possible for this cap, in one position, to be placed over the opening of the container so as to close this container and, in another position, to be released from this opening so as to allow access to the inside of the container;
a ring engaged on that part of the container which delimits the said opening and held axially on it; and
two arms in the form of an arc of a circle, each one of which is connected to the cap on the one hand, by means of a film hinge and parts that are able to fold, and to the ring on the other hand, the arms being connected to the ring at locations which are angularly distant with respect to the film hinge; the said parts that are able to fold allow the pivoting of the arms between a folded position, in which these arms are placed close to the ring and in which the cap is axially close to the ring, and an unfolded position, in which these arms are pivoted with respect to the film hinge and to the ring; in this same unfolded position, the arms, by means of their length, allow the cap to be brought into a position which is axially remote from the ring, this position being sufficient to make it possible to release the said means for engaging the cap with the container and to tilt the said cap outwards with respect to this container so as to bring this cap into the position in which it is released from the opening of the container.
The device according to this document has the drawback that the cap tends to be placed normally above the opening of the container, given the elastic return of the synthetic material which constitutes this device. This position of the cap significantly impedes the flow of the product contained in the container and forces the user to hold the cap in a tilted position during this flow,
Moreover, the operation of this device is not very attractive and the structure of this device could be improved with a view to optimum
The object of the invention is to provide a capping device which remedies all these drawbacks. It must be possible for this device to be placed on any type of container, but, in particular, to be intended for commonly used, mass-produced containers, such as mineral-water bottles, it having to be possible for the operation of placing the device to be carried out in a mechanized manner and at a high rate.
A further object of the invention is to provide a capping device which is easy to handle as regards the opening and closing of the container, providing reliable retention of the cap on the container, which cap is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to place on the container and which has an attractive visual appearance.
The device to which it relates is of the type set forth hereinabove, the preamble of claim 1 corresponding to the teaching of the aforesaid prior patent.
According to the invention, the cap comprises means shaped so as to bear, during the said tilting, against the container and in order to exert, by means of this bearing, a pulling on the said arms, this pulling being non-existent or minimal in the positions of engagement of the cap over the opening of the container and of total release of this cap from this opening, but being maximal in the intermediate position of the cap between these two positions.
The aforesaid means, together with the possibility of elastic expansion made possible by the arms, thus make it possible to create a hard point midway through the tilting of the cap, so that the device is of the xe2x80x9cflip-topxe2x80x9d type.
This flip-top characteristic makes it possible perfectly to keep the cap in its tilted position, against the elastic return of the synthetic material constituting the device; the user thus does not have to hold the cap in the tilted position during flow of the product contained in the container.
Moreover, this flip-top property makes the device appealing to handle.
The said means may consist of a tongue projecting axially from the skirt of the cap, close to the said film hinge.
The edge of the tongue bearing against the container is advantageously rounded, to promote the rolling of this tongue along the wall of the container.
The means allowing sufficient deformation of the device to allow pivoting of the arms between the said folded and unfolded positions may consist of one or more of the following means:
a material constituting the capping device, chosen from materials, particularly polyethylene or polypropylene, which offer a possibility of elastic expansion;
a clearance between the ring and the container in order to allow, through the deformation of this ring, the relative displacement, in the circumferential direction, of the ends of the arms connected to this ring;
at least one slit or one notch made at the level of the film hinge to allow the relative displacement, in the circumferential direction, of the ends of the arms connected to this film hinge;
arms included, in the folded position, in the thickness of the ring and separated by recesses made in this thickness so that the ring has, plumb with the arms, a height which is less than the height it has in the other locations on its circumference, this smaller height promoting its deformation during movement of the arms.
Preferably, the ring and/or at least one arm is, before the first opening of the container, connected to the cap and/or to the film hinge by breakable bridges which are intended to be broken at the time of this first opening.
These bridges not only constitute evidence that the container has not been tampered with but also make it possible to confer perfect structural homogeneity on the device.
Advantageously, the said means for the engagement of the cap with the container are of the screw type and the ring is fitted free in rotation on the container.
Unscrewing of the cap gives rise to the aforesaid movement of the arms, and, as the case may be, the rupture of the bridges constituting the evidence that the container has not been tampered with.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cap comprises two film hinges made on either side of a tongue as aforesaid, an arm being connected to each of these film hinges.
These two film hinges located on either side of the said tongue allow stable movement of the arms and a stable tilting of the cap with respect to the container.
In order to be understood properly, the invention is described again below with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing which represents, by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the capping device to which it relates.